I believe in creating an environment and community of learning by empowering. This includes involving them in making decisions and guiding them to making their best decisions. Respect is big for me, and I believe a respect for learning, for others, and classroom rules lead to the best environment for learning. I will be their guide and mentor this year, helping them learn the material while manifesting an environment to create lifelong learners. I expect my students to do their best, come prepared, and be open to diverse thoughts. Everyone deserves to learn in a judgement free environment because everyone learns differently. Bullying, belittling, and disrespect will not be tolerated and students who portray this behavior will be asked to access their behavior and we, as a community of learners, will address this type of behavior in our morning meetings.
I am here as a teacher but function as a manger of learning. I have extensive experience facilitating learning in the Coast Guard. I have seen what helps folks learn and what drives them to tap out. I will model respect, compassion, empathy, and teamwork to direct our class to our goals. I will create engaging, impactful, and diverse instruction to reach all students of all learning abilities. In turn, your student will be ready to learn, be prepared for their assignments, and be ready to engage in discussions to further thought and learning.
My classroom goals are lofty but achievable. We will work together to decode complex issues. We will become curious scholars and go beyond the text and classroom materials. We will ask hard questions and be part of solving complex issues. This classroom will be a place for learning, and I hope to instill curiosity, respect for other, and create independent lifelong learners.
Mr. C’s 3 Bs
1. Be on time- your tardiness affects your participation, disrupts the class, and is not acceptable. If you are late to class, you will ask to come in and then quietly proceed to your desk and get your materials out.
2. Be Prepared- This class and its contents are for you. Preparation is key to be able to understand the content and participate in class discussions.
3. Be Respectful- Respect is the cornerstone of relationships and shows that we empathize with others. We are a community of learners and listen, share, and participate with each other in a way that boosts respect of thought, ability, and the diversity of learners we have in this class.
Do Now- start of class
1. Find your seat and get your materials out and on your desk- this class is for learning and we have a certain amount of time today with each other. Please be ready by having your materials out and ready to go as soon as you find your seat.
2. Have yesterday’s questions out and ready to discuss- Preparation is key and we start the day with a check in on yesterdays reading/homework. Have it out and ready to get started.
3. Write your reaction to today’s prompt on whiteboard- This daily task is a starter for engaging our minds to the task at hand. A quick response to a prompt gets the brain focused on our class and our studies for the period.
In Class
1. Participate in discussions but do not talk over others- This should go without saying, but we cannot create a respectful environment when people are talking over each other and not engaging in the feedback cycle.
2. If you have a question, please raise your hand or come up to my desk- Simple enough, please respect the work of others and raise your hand or come up to my desk if you have a question/issue.
3. During quiet work, or tests, please don’t talk to your neighbor- We each work differently. Some like noise and some do not. Talking, however, during quiet work or during tests is not acceptable as it disrupts others.
End of Class
1. Ensure you have the homework copied down- to be prepared for tomorrow, you need to have the work assigned copied down.
2. Ensure your workplace is clean and chairs tucked under- Leave it like you found it. Do not have others clean up after you and leave your environment like you would want to find it.
3. Do get your ‘fist bump’ while leaving the classroom- This is a way to positively connect with students after the lesson and let them know I appreciate their work today. It also gives me a chance to check in with them (what is their mental, physical, and emotional state) before their next class.
Home work
1. Do all assigned work/reading- Preparation is key!
2. If you have any questions about homework and materials post them to our class wall of questions- we are a community of learners. Use your community to find answers to engage in conversations.
3. Write down questions you have about the reading and be ready to discuss in class- This is important because we start the day with talking about the readings and what questions you have about it.
Classroom management theories as diverse as the population we teach. I have always believed everyone brings experiences to the classroom that are unique and diverse. This diversity of experiences embeds an awesome opportunity to build on those experiences and for others to explore diverse thinking. I see myself as a guide in their education journey providing them with a rich environment for learning, a clear set of rules for acceptable behavior to create a respectful and engaging classroom experience for all my students.
While I do not fully incorporate any one style into my classroom management style, I incorporate several ideas and thoughts from a couple theorists that match my teaching style. Kohn’s theories about making connections, solving problems with creative solutions, and creating a deeper understanding of the material are all relevant to my management style. I do believe mistakes are an important part of learning because they allow us to ask and probe more questions to come up with unique solutions to issues. Kohn also emphasizes creating learning communities which I believe is essential to the success of our class. We live, work, and play in a community and school is an extension of our community. We are responsible to our community for our actions good and bad, and in my classroom, we will create a classroom community we are responsible to in order to enhance learning for all.
I also believe teachers should be masters of the content they teach, be a good manager, and set positive expectation as touted by Harry Wong. Setting clear expectations and plans for students to follow make it easy for them to understand the structure of the classroom and expectations for their work and behavior. He also emphasizes the importance of teachers making a difference in students’ lives and instilling a desire for learning. Our role in the classroom is not to deliver content and test students ability to restate what they learned. Our role is to create an environment that is engaging and helps students achieve results beyond expectations. We do this by being the expert, by being engaging, and by allowing students to explore topics beyond the textbooks.
Charles, C.M. (2014) Building Classroom Discipline. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Charles, C. M., & Cole, K. M. (2019). Building Classroom Management: Methods and Models. Pearson Education, Inc.
I will align my classroom with the rules of behavior from the school’s handbook. Without specific guidance from the handbook, our class will create procedures and rules our students will be expected to abide by. Our system of education is based on beliefs instituted by our country’s constitution and, I believe, individuals should be allowed to learn unimpeded by others’ behaviors.
By setting clear rules and procedures for the classroom combined with developing a community of learners, we can avoid most behavioral issues. However, when students do not comply with the agreed upon rules, we, as a class, will develop a set of consequences for misbehaviors. These consequences will be based on keeping dignity intact, restoring trust, and developing new procedures agreed upon by our learning community. These consequences will be based on restitution, resolution, and reconciliation: all parts of restoring rules and keeping our students’ dignity intact.
When we are unable to agree upon rules, procedures, or consequences due to differences of opinions or beliefs, we will research, investigate, communicate, and develop resolutions based on the results. The school environment is diverse but we, as a community of learners will be able to find apt solutions like we do in our learning strategy.
In our environment it is unacceptable to bully, hit, fight, harm, or belittle anyone in the class or school and this behavior will not be tolerated. Swift action will be taken for any student who behaves in this way and, if they do not respond to their learning community regarding their behavior, they will be asked to leave the classroom and receive counseling and support to address their behavior. Only when they have agreed to behave respectfully and according to our communities standards, will they be allowed back in the class!
You, as my parents/guardians, play a vital role in your students’ development. While I spend a lot of time with them during the day, you, as their role model, make the most impact on a student’s development and creating lifelong learning skills. I will keep you informed with the assignments, grades, behaviors, and learning objectives on my google classroom page. There you will be able to keep tabs on what we are learning, our classroom management plan (developed by students), and upcoming events and due dates for assignments. I realize it may be difficult to check this daily, for concerning or issues regarding immediate attention, you can expect and email and phone call to discuss your student’s progress.
If your student needs more attention, we have a team at the school to help develop learning and behavior plans to get your student the help they need. Please realize I want the best for your student and all the students in my class. I will work with them, the school, and you to come up with the best strategy to fill the needs of your student.
Also, you are more than welcome to call, email, or stop by the school anytime. My planning period is from 9-10 every day, and, if that does not work for you, simply send me a message and we can see what will work for you.
My classroom is not set up in a typical arrangement with desks facing forward and students in rows. Instead, to enhance our learning community, I would have large community desks with stools (not chairs). This arrangement would help with creating a positive psychosocial environment where students would be encouraged to interact and help regulate each other’s behavior. This arrangement also allows students ample room to move about the classroom unimpeded which also aids in our socially conscious community.
Having a different looking environment also impacts the ways students interface with the learning environment. They know right away that this class is different, and they are expected to participate in learning, will be expected to engage in the material, and their behavior and mentality directly affects others. Having taller desks with stools also lets students stand or sit during class allowing them to engage with the material comfortably instead of being trapped in a chair/desk for the hour.